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1E RHIND 8; G. L COOPER. SUSPENSION DEVIeE EOE LAMPS, am.

No. 397,518. Patented Feb. 12, 188%.

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F. RHIND & G. L. COOPER.

SUSPENMON DEVICE FOR LAMPS, 650. N0. 397,518. Patented Feb. 12, 1889.

UNTTED STATES PATENT UFFICE.

FRANK RIIIND AND GEORGE L. COOPER, OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNORS TO EDIVARD MILLER & COBIIPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

SUSPENSION DEVICE FOR LAMPS, 86C.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 397,518, dated February 12, 1889.

Application filed July 24, 1888. Serial No. 280,922. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FRANK RHIND and GEORGE L. COOPER, citizens of the United States, both of the city of Meriden, county of New Haven, and State of Connecticut, have invented an Improvement in Suspension Devices for Lamps and Similar Articles, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to that class of suspension devices on which a lamp or similar article is removably supported in an encircling-ring suspended by a pendant or harp from a hook above. When in fixturesof this class the lamp or similar article is maintained in its position in the ring by gravity only, it is liable to accidental displacement; When the ring is suspended by chains or cords wound upon a spring-inclosing drum, and so arranged that the lamp or article suspended is capable of vertical adjustment, this liability to accident is increased. When the springinclosing drum is further provided with a lock or stop device, so that the adjustable part of the fixture is at some times capable of upward motion and at other times is locked against such motion, the lamp or suspended article is in the hands of a careless operator or of one unfamiliar with the adjusting device liable to be lifted entirely from the ring. This in the case of a lighted lamp might be productive of a serious accident. Various devices have been employed to prevent such ac cidents, of which our invention shows a simple and economical one.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents in perspective a lamp-suspending device embodying our improvement. Figs. 2, 3, and 4: show modifications of our device in detail, Figs. 2 and 3 being partly in vertical section.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the several views.

A designates a lamp fountor body; a, aprojecting bead or stop thereon; B, a lamp-supporting ring; Z), an ear or lug on said ring; I), a hole through the ear or lug b; C, a harp or frame by which the ring B is suspended; c, a pivot on the harp C; c, Fig. 2, a portion of the harp C reduced in diameter; a, Fig. 2, a screw-thread cut in the harp O; D, a nut; D, Fig. 3, another nut, E, a button.

In explaining the construction and operation of our device we will first refer to the form of construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The harp C, as here shown, is preferably made of wire, and is milled down or reduced in diameter, as shown at c, to form a pivot on which the button E may turn. It is also milled down to a still smaller size below the portion 0, as shown at c, to pass through the hole I), drilled through the lug b of the ring B, which ring may advantageously be made of castmetal. At its lower end the portion 0 is preferably screw-threaded, so as to engage with a nut, D. Where the harp is milled down to form the reduced portions 0 and c, the shoulders are left square, so that when the lower portion, c',is passed through the ring B and the nut I) screwed up to a seat against the lower side of the ring 1-3 the shoulder between the portion (,1 and c bears against the upper side of the ring, which is firmly held between the shoulder and the nut I). On the portion 0 the button E is free to rotate, preferably with considerable friction. The lamp A is adapted to pass into the ring B until the bead a rests on the upper side-of the ring, as shown in the drawings. To remove the lamp, the buttons E are disengaged. from the bead a by turning the buttons in a horizontal plane. \Vhen the lamp is replaced in the ring, the buttons E ma'ybe returned to the position shown in the drawings, when the accidental displacement of the lamp from the ring will be rendered impossible.

Instead of milling the portions 0 and c, as shown, the end of the harp C may he milled to the size of the portion 0 up to the upper shoulder and a sleeve slipped on the upper end of the milled portion, on which the but ton E may turn, and against the lower end of which the lug b maybear, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 2.

In the form of construction shown in Fig. 3 the ends of the harp O are screw-threaded for a sufficient distance to engage with a nut above as well as one below the lug h, and are not otherwise milled or reduced in diameter. The nut D, which engages with the upper side of the lug b, is milled or otherwise reduced in diameter for a part of its length, so as to form a cylindric portion on which the button E may rotate, and a head or cap by which the button E is retained in its place. The button E is preferably made of a thickness somewhat less than the height of the cylindric portion of the nut D, so that the nut D may be screwed down firmly on the lug 1) without interfering with the rotation of the button E. The operation of this device is similar to that of the device before described.

In the form of construction shown in Fig. 4 the lamp A may engage by means of the head a with the ring 13, as above described, or the bead a may be omitted, and the lamp may be supported in a cup or basket, as shown in the dotted lines. In this construction the harp C may be of strap form, and may advantageously be made of sheet metal. The button E may be of any convenient size and form, is pivotally connected with the harp C, and when turned to the position shown in the drawings bears against the lamp A so as to prevent its removal from the ring or basket, as before described. When it is desired to remove or insert the lamp, the buttons E may be turned out of engagement with the lamp, also as described.

It is obvious that many mechanical changes may be made in the construction of devices embodying our invention without departing from its spirit, which we conceive to be the use of a pivoted button adapted to engage with a lamp or similar article supported in a ring or basket When in its normal position, and further adapted to be rotated so as to permit the disengagement of said article from said ring. \Ve are aware that a lamp so supported in a ring or basket has heretofore been retained in position by ascrew or screws bearing againstthe upper surface of the lamp. The buttons used in our construction are relieved from engagement with the lamp or article supported by a quarter-turn, while several turns are usually required to release the screw. The buttons are beside adapted to be used in many places where the use of the screw would be disadvantageous-e. g., in the wire harp shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, where the drilling and tapping a hole for the screw would be expensive and would seriously weaken. the wire. Vhen, therefore, we use the word button in the claims, we do not wish to be understood as including a set-screw.

\Vhat we claim as ourinvention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

1. In a suspension device, the combination of a supporting-ring, aharp or frame attached to said ring, and a button pivotally attached to said harp or frame and adapted to engage with the upper surface of a lamp or other article supported in said ring, so as to prevent the disengagement of said article from said ring when in its normal position, and to be turned out of said normal position to permit such disengagement, substantially as d escribed.

2. In a suspension device, the combiiiaiion of a supporting-1ing, a harp or frame, the ends of which pass through openings in lugs of said ring, and a button capable of rotary motion on said harp or frame in a plane parallel with said ring, and adapted to engage with a bead or projection on a lamp or other article suspended in said ring so as to prevent the disengagement of said article from said ring when in its normal position, and to be turned out of said normal position to permit such disengagement, substantially as described.

FRANK RHIND. GEO. L. COOPER.

\Vituesses:

E. B. HAWLEY, BURTON ALLAN. 

